The Indian government has given a big update amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), around 1,30,000 Indians have returned to their homes safely since February 28. The government is continuously taking steps for the safety of Indians living in Gulf countries. Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem Mahajan has given this information.
ℹ️: Bahrain Alert: Sirens suddenly started ringing in Bahrain, the government instructed people to immediately go to a safe place.
How many Indians returned from which country and what is the status of the flight?
According to the government report, more than 52,000 people have returned between March 1 and 7 alone. The figures of people coming from different countries are as follows:
Qatar: About 2,900 Indians have returned via Qatar Airways and Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain: More than 1,000 people have returned through Gulf Air.
Iran: Many of the approximately 9,000 people stranded here have escaped safely through the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Many major changes have also taken place regarding air travel in the Gulf countries. You can see the situation in which country below:
Country Latest flight and travel status: Kuwait airspace is closed. Jazeera Airways now operates from Al-Qaisumah Airport in Saudi Arabia. Flights to India will start from here soon. Saudi Arabia air route is open. Air India Express and IndiGo have started flights from Riyadh. Flights are also operational from Jeddah, Medina and Dammam. UAE situation has improved and commercial flights are running from many airports. Iraq airspace is closed. The Foreign Ministry is evacuating people through Saudi Arabia.
What are the preparations of the government and the embassy?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are continuously talking to the leaders of Gulf countries to ensure the safety of about 1 crore Indians living there. The Ministry of External Affairs is providing visa support to people stranded in Iran and surrounding countries.
Along with this, efforts are also being made to bring back 15 Indians stranded on the Safesea Vishnu ship. There is also news of death of two Indians in Muscat, Oman, the work of bringing back their bodies is going on.
All Indians living in Gulf countries have been asked to keep an eye on the social media handles of their local embassy and register themselves there. In case of any problem, help can be taken by calling the emergency helpline number.